Start with the designer note under the Materials article of the issued Section 33 30 00 and confirm that the plans and profiles show each sewer run’s diameter, inverts at every manhole, material and class limits, and the existing lines it connects to or crosses, then check that the pipe materials and joints kept in the section are the ones the plans call out. Then compare every crossing and parallel run with water lines against the separation articles, confirm that manholes, pressure lines, and any septic system are detailed, and check that the tests kept in the section apply to the pipe materials drawn.
Assemble the review package
Gather the site utility plans and sewer profiles, the composite utility plan with water lines, storm drains, and other utilities, the manhole, septic tank, and absorption trench details, the trench, bedding, and concrete encasement details, the paving and railroad crossing plans, the geotechnical report with soil sulfate, corrosivity, groundwater, and contamination findings, the plumbing plans showing where each building sewer leaves the building, the pressure sewer drawings with thrust blocks and joint locations, and the issued Section 33 30 00 with Section 31 00 00, the cast-in-place concrete section it points to, the quality control section, and the cathodic protection section if one is used. Follow one run from the building connection to its connection on the existing collection system before assuming the others match.
WBDG publishes UFGS 33 30 00: Sanitary Sewerage as a public guide-specification reference (accessed November 2, 2026). Use your project’s issued specification and amendments for the actual comparison; the guide specification does not automatically govern your project. The checklist below is an original suggested review workflow, not a reproduction of the UFGS requirements.
Eight checks to run against the issued set
Use one record per location or system. The CSV contains the same eight prompts plus fields for source revisions, observed evidence, the review owner, the decision, and closure references.
| Check | Sources to compare | Question to resolve |
|---|---|---|
| What the drawings must show | Designer note under the Materials article + utility plans and profiles | Do the plans and profiles give every new run’s location, diameter, and invert elevations at its ends and at each manhole, the location, size, and type of the existing lines it connects to or crosses, the paving and railroads above it, and a profile wherever conditions are unusual, as the note asks? |
| Pipe material and class by run | Sanitary Sewer Gravity Pipeline, Gravity Pipe, Pressure Pipe, and Piping Beneath Railroad Right-of-Way articles + opening PART 1 designer note + plans and profiles | Does each run use a material the edited section keeps, are the limits shown where class or strength changes with depth or load, as the PART 1 note asks, are watertight or root-resistant joints, fuel-resistant gaskets, and sulfate-resisting cement chosen where the note and the geotechnical findings call for them, and is any railroad crossing detailed to the requirements that article invokes? |
| Building connections and existing lines | Sanitary Sewer Gravity Pipeline, Location, Connections to Existing Lines, Connecting to Existing Manholes, and Installations of Wye Branches articles + site utility plan + plumbing plans | Is the point where the section’s work stops near each building shown and met by a building sewer of matching size, material, and invert on the plumbing drawings, and is every connection to an existing sewer or manhole located with its existing invert, so the contractor can connect with the short interruption of service the section expects? |
| Separation from water lines | Location, Sanitary Piping Installation Parallel with Water Line, Installation of Sanitary Piping Crossing a Water Line, Sanitary Sewer Manholes, and Hydrostatic Sewer Test articles + composite utility plan + profiles | Where a sewer runs beside or crosses a water line, do the profiles show the separation the section and the state or local standards in its designer note require, are pressure sewers kept below water lines, and where separation cannot be met, is the alternative construction and its hydrostatic sewer test drawn, with no water pipe passing through a manhole? |
| Pressure lines and corrosion protection | Sanitary Sewer Pressure Lines, Ductile Iron Pressure Piping, Installation of Concrete Pressure Lines, Installation of Ductile-Iron Pressure Lines, and Installation of PVC Pressure Pipe articles + opening cathodic protection notes + pressure sewer plans and details | Are thrust blocks sized and located on the drawings, as the pipe anchorage paragraphs require, are flanged and mechanical joint locations shown where the note asks, is polyethylene encasement kept for buried ductile iron only where it is needed, and is the cathodic protection section included where the opening note’s corrosive soil conditions apply? |
| Manholes, frames, and covers | Precast Concrete Manholes, Gaskets and Connectors, External Preformed Rubber Joint Seals, Frames, Covers, and Gratings for Manholes, Manhole Steps, Manhole Ladders, and Manhole Construction articles + manhole details | Does the manhole detail show the base, the shaped invert channels, resilient pipe connectors, and the joint seal the section specifies, are steps or a ladder drawn where the depth calls for them, and if the cover size is left “as indicated,” is it on the plans, with a live load certification kept for covers in traffic? |
| Septic tanks and absorption fields | Precast Concrete Septic Tanks, Glass-Fiber-Reinforced Polyester Septic Tanks, Septic Tank Piping, Siphon for Septic Tank, Sewage Absorption Field Materials, and Sewage Absorption Trench Construction articles + septic details + site plan | If the project has an on-site system, are the tank, siphon, effluent filter option, and absorption trenches detailed and located, does the field material kept (perforated tubing, perforated PVC pipe, or chambers) match the trench detail, and are these articles deleted where every building connects to a collection system? |
| Tests and inspections by pipe type | Tests, Leakage Tests for Nonpressure Lines, Tests for Pressure Lines, Deflection Testing, Dye Test, Smoke Test, Pre-Installation Inspection, and Post-Installation Inspection articles + pipe materials on the plans + Section 01 45 00 | Do the leakage test methods kept apply to the pipe materials actually drawn, since the section ties each method to concrete, clay, PVC, or polypropylene pipe, are pressure line tests kept only where pressure lines are drawn, is deflection testing of plastic pipe kept where the scope or size of the project warrants it, as its note says, and are the dye or smoke test and the inspection requests kept where the installation requires them? |
Worked example: a crossing with no alternative and a test that does not fit the pipe
Illustrative example: a new dormitory’s building sewer runs to a new precast manhole, crosses an existing water main, and connects to an existing manhole on the base collection system, with one run under a parking lot drawn as concrete pipe. The profile shows the sewer passing over the water main with no pipe material change or note at the crossing, the issued Section 33 30 00 keeps only the low-pressure air tests, which the section applies to clay, PVC, and polypropylene pipe, the connection at the existing manhole has no invert elevation, and the template septic tank and absorption field articles are still in the section.
Ask the civil engineer of record to show the separation at the crossing or the alternative construction the section allows, with the hydrostatic sewer test it requires, to add the existing invert at the manhole connection, and to keep a leakage test that applies to concrete pipe or change the run to a material the kept test covers. Delete the septic tank and absorption field articles if the building connects to the base system, and confirm with the installation whether a dye or smoke test is required at the new connection.
Avoid a false conflict
Section 33 30 00 covers the exterior sanitary sewer from a point just outside each building to its connection with the collection system, plus on-site septic systems. Piping inside and next to the building belongs to the plumbing drawings and sections, storm drains, culverts, and detention to Section 33 40 00 and the stormwater utility guide, pressurized water mains to Section 33 11 00 and the water distribution guide, and trench excavation, bedding, and backfill to Section 31 00 00. The section has no articles for lift stations or grease interceptors, so look for those in other project sections before calling them missing. Its designer notes defer separation distances and test pressures to state and local standards and the referenced test methods; your project’s issued specification and the authority having jurisdiction govern.
When requirements disagree, follow the project’s document-control and clarification process. Do not assume that drawings always override specifications, or the reverse. Identify the exact sources and request an authorized decision.
Close the issue across the affected documents
Record the location or tag, drawing and specification references, issue dates, observed difference, and the decision needed. Assign an owner and keep the item open until the response identifies the governing requirement. Check the revised drawings and specification references together; a response email alone may leave the issued package inconsistent.
For the overall process, use the guide to drawing and specification conflicts. Mark an inapplicable checklist row with a reason, and distinguish a verified correction from a question that still needs design information.
Where Groundbook fits
Groundbook’s drawing and specification review helps investigate potential disagreements in the documents you supply. Include the relevant specification sections and drawing references, then verify the cited evidence with the responsible reviewers before acting on a finding.